Reverend faces a marathon task on Sunday

Rev Darren McClintock won’t be in the pulpit as he will be part of a team of runners doing the London Marathon for Wakefield Hospice.

The hospice’s chaplain said: “I took part in two marathons, including the London event, ten years ago. My running has been inconsistent over the decade since. However, I’ve gradually increased my running over the past year, having run the Wakefield 10K and the Great North Run in 2015. The marathon is the obvious next challenge I hope to run faster than I did ten years ago. However, I seem to be in more pain in between the runs than I remember from before.”

This year the hospice has a team of eight runners, five runners were offered a place on the hospice’s golden bond and three runners secured their own place via the ballot.

Joining Rev McClintock on the start line is James Garland, 34, from Wrenthorpe, He is running to repay the hospice’s kindness after it treated his sister. Emma Simpson, 25, is running her first marathon in memory of her uncle who was also cared for by Wakefield Hospice.

Tim Carr, 38, from Ossett is running for the hospice in memory of his auntie who sadly passed away last year after a short battle with cancer.

Mum-of-four Tracey Blackburn, 46, Graeme Dent, 39, James Palmer and Dr Stephan Claridge are also running for the hospice.

All the runners will be wearing a Wakefield Hospice running vest to help raise awareness and support for hospice care.

Fundraising Manager Keeley Harrison said: “We would like to wish all our marathon runners good luck for Sunday. They have all done so well with their training and shown so much commitment and dedication.”